


Second Place

by AquaFlower



Category: Tales of Xillia
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Drama & Romance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Friends to Lovers, Friendship/Love, Post-Tales of Xillia 2, Romantic Fluff, Some Humor, Tales of Xillia 2 Spoilers, Tales of Xillia Spoilers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-24
Updated: 2017-11-24
Packaged: 2019-02-06 04:20:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12809481
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AquaFlower/pseuds/AquaFlower
Summary: After a happy get together with everyone like that; the last thing Alvin expected was to find Leia outside crying later that night with bruises on her knees and muddy pajamas. What he expected even less was the event would change his life. (Alvin x Leia, Jude x Milla)





	Second Place

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [Two sides of the same coin](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/341313) by Ravenshirin. 



> This was intended to be a one-shot that wound up much longer than expected. I was a bit inspired by a fic between the two called 'two sides of the same coin' which i recommend giving a read. I also was planning on smut but as i got to writing; it just didn't feel right to include this time around. This is Alvin/Leia so if that isn't your thing; go elsewhere.

            “Now Teepo, you know that Leia is supposed to get the first piece of cake!” The 15 year old mage shook her finger in a scolding manner towards the fluttering puppet and turned her attention back toward the old man cutting the cake.  “Rowen! Make sure Leia gets hers’ first, okay?”

The 65 year old bespectacled man chuckled softly as he went about carefully mapping the cake with thin, even slices. “Of course, Miss Elize. With how big this cake is; everyone will be sure to get at least one if not two slices.”

The flying puppet let out a whiny retort that was something along the lines of ‘starving to death and not being able to wait’ as the rest of the group responded with laughter. It was summer in Fennmont and a hot summer it was. Luckily here with the night clime; it was almost always cooler than anywhere else. Accompany that with the beautiful strung up lights; Leia Rolando felt it was the perfect place to get together and have a small birthday bash for her 18th.

“It’s okay, really! I can wait til last for my piece!” she clasped her hands together and gave a warm smile.

A scoff across the table was that of her childhood friend Jude Mathis. “You’re only saying that Leia so that you can have everything that is leftover.”

“Jude!” Leia stood up abruptly with her emerald eyes ablaze. “That’s totally not true!”

“Do you really like cake that much, Leia?” The woman everyone had come to know as the great spirit Milla Maxwell cocked her head a bit in thought. “I could give you my piece along with yours if you’d like?”

The birthday girl blushed deeply and began to wave her hands dramatically. “Wait! It’s not like that at all!”

“Hey! Come on! It’s the little lady’s birthday! Let her live and let loose a little!” Everyone’s attention turned to the suave merchant known as Alvin whose cheeky grin was plastered on his face as usual.

Everyone started talking all at once while Leia locked eyes with the dark haired Merchant whom in return gave her a small wink. She quickly turned away with a warm blush dusting the sides of her cheeks once more. It was just like him to defend the accused. Although she knew even now it had more to do with their history more than anything. Three years and he was still trying to make up for that day back in Hamil…

Her thoughts were broken by the familiar voice of Jude’s she had come to know and love. “Okay! Is everyone ready to sing happy birthday?”

Everyone chimed in their agreements with Teepo’s being louder and clearer than the rest. His booming “Oh! Me! Me-me-me! I love singing!” had Leia forcing back an amused chuckle. Her gaze fell on Jude whom met her eyes in return and smiled. She could feel her face heating up a little as the sound of her thundering heart seem to cover up the far away voices of her friends singing. It was as if the only two in the world at that moment were Jude and herself.

There was only one thing to make this evening perfect and all be damned if she wasn’t going to make it happen. It was, after all, the second reason she wanted this party to be a thing.

Tonight was the night she would finally confess to Jude about how she had always felt.

 

***

 

It didn’t take long for everyone to get worn out. Lucky for them, with Rowen’s high stature and Alvin’s ‘connections’ as he put it; they were able to get their own individual rooms at what was known as the best hotel in Fennmont (though Leia was pretty certain it was the only hotel there and it still couldn’t beat the homey atmosphere that her parents’ inn had). Elize, Rowen and her had rooms on the third floor while Jude, Milla, and Alvin had rooms on the second (first floor was the lobby area). The setup wasn’t what she had in mind for her plan but she knew Rowen and Elize would be retiring pretty early so it wouldn’t be too difficult to sneak down the hall and down the steps without attracting much attention to either one.

The teenage girl stared at her reflection in the hotel room’s mirror and took a deep breath. Her hair had grown pretty long since she had first ventured out with Jude and everyone. Granted, it was nothing on Milla’s but it did sit just slightly past her shoulders. However, that wasn’t her focus at the moment. She had thought long and hard about what to wear tonight to bed…seeing as this would also be the same outfit she would speak to Jude in. Her teal long-sleeved matching, button-up pajama set adorned with white moons and stars across the top and shorts was the perfect choice. It wasn’t pushy but it hugged her curves in a modest sort of way…that and the shorts gave her butt a bit of a lift. With one last look of satisfaction; she turned and made her way to the door. She hadn’t really thought much about footwear but sneakers probably wouldn’t hurt, would they? After all, if things went well; she would be taking them off anyways right?

She halted by the stairs to the next floor below at that thought. Her eyes widened and face flushed in semi-horror. Is that what she really wanted? Even the thought of just lying next to Jude and sleeping made her stomach do flip-flops. To want anything beyond that…

She shook her head roughly and steadied her expression to that of determination. She had come this far and had waited so long for this moment. Quitting now would make it all pointless. She would go knock on his door and ask if she could come in and talk. This was it! This was going to be the perfect end to the perfect night.

....

…

..

.

And it would have been…had her knock not gone unheard…

Had the door not been unlocked…

Had she not been foolish enough to try the knob and open it…

Had she maybe, just maybe, stayed in her room and chickened out on the whole thing…

Had Jude not been in there…lying on the bed…with a great spirit’s greatly exposed rack just inches from his face…no…on his face…his mouth was…it was…

She stumbled back in pure horror with a loud gasp that startled the couple out of their current activity. She didn’t even care nor hardly hear over the ringing in her ears as Jude tried to stutter and explanation in her direction. All she knew was she had to get out of there.  She had to…

She couldn’t remember how far she got before she found herself tripping on the hotel’s front steps. Had she really run both flights down? Not like that mattered or anything as she struggled to pick herself up from the ground below. The elbows of her pajama top were coated in dirt and her knees were a mix between that and scraps of blood. She was pretty sure her chin was mirroring the same as she could feel a bit of a sting on it.

Although none of this pain could pale in comparison to what her heart was feeling at that moment. She could feel her shaky legs give way as she sunk down and sat herself on the steps below. Slowly, she brought her scraped up knees to her similarly damaged chin…her head swimming with replays of what had just happened over and over. She closed her eyes and blinked away a few tears as the reality really started to sink in. Jude was no longer hers…he probably never was. Her heart started to ache as she remembered the smile he had just given her mere hours ago and the happy birthday they had all been singing together for her. It didn’t take long for the memories and mix of emotions to overwhelm her as she dropped her head in her lap and let her sobs echo through the cold, everlasting night air.

 

***

 

“Always look for the perks!”

The 29 year old former mercenary and now merchant known as Alfred Svent smiled at his own reflection in the full-length mirror. Everyone had turned in for the evening yet the night for him was just beginning. It had been almost two years since he had been to The Quivering cavern; which, of course, was one of the best brothels in Rieze Maxia and located right here in Fennmont. Hey! He was almost 30! Never hurts to live a little! He quickly adjusted his tie once more and made his way out the door. His thoughts began to drift as he strolled down the hall and towards the stairs. He had to wonder if Trixie still worked there? She had always been worth every piece of gald. Especially with those hypnotic twists of hers…

He was awoken abruptly from his dirty fantasies by the sound of crying. He followed the noise outside the lobby and out the hotel front door to find a certain familiar girl curled up on the steps below. He felt a pang in his chest and was instantly overwhelmed with that odd feeling of care and concern he got when he was around her and the rest of the group.  He found himself scrambling down the steps and rushing to kneel by her side.

“Hey! Leia! What happened? What’s wrong?”

 

***

 

Leia’s breath hitched and her sobs cut short as she heard a familiar voice behind her. The last thing she wanted was to be seen in this sort of state. She instantly rushed to her feet and spun to face the man. Her best plastered smile forced upon her features despite the circumstances and the crying mess that partnered alongside it.

“Huh? Oh! Nothing! Nothing at all! I just…wanted to come look at the sky is all! Haha!”

Alvin was many things but an idiot wasn’t one of them. She knew that and it came as no surprise to her when he crossed his arms and gave her a stern look that resembled that of a disappointed father.

“Leia…do you really think I’m gonna believe that? I practically invented lying you know!”

She lowered her gaze as the frown that she had tried to cover began to surface once again. “I…I know…I’m sorry…I…”

It was then that both had become aware of their surroundings and the few people that were passing by and giving them strange looks. Alvin reached over and grabbed her gently by the wrist. “Let’s head to my room and talk there. We don’t owe Fennmont a midnight showing if you get my drift.” She nodded in response and began to drag her feet alongside him.

 

***

 

It had been hard to get her up the steps…even harder so to the second floor and in his room. Common sense would dictate that it was nervousness at being alone with him in a bedroom but he knew her well enough to know that it was something bigger. He lifted his gaze from the chair he currently sat on towards the girl clinging her knees to her chest while sitting at the edge of his bed. She hadn’t even bothered to mess with healing her own mild injuries. Though they were small; Alvin couldn’t help but feel his heartstrings tugged on a bit looking at them on her. It might have only been three years but he had really come to adore her and everyone else in the group. He would give up his past life all over again if it meant keeping the smiles on their faces.

Which is why it broke him to see her like this.

“Do you wanna tell me what’s got you so worked up…and on your special day no less?”

It wouldn’t have surprised him in the least had she chosen to clam up or run out of the room. What he hadn’t expected was for her to crumbled once more into loud sobs and a poor attempt at speech in between.

“It…*sniff*…I know…Milla…Jude…they…I messed up…I didn’t…I didn’t…” Alvin scooted his chair so that he sat with his knees touching the edge of the bed in front of her and placed a hand on her shoulder as she broke into another pile of sobs.

“Hey…it’s okay. Just take a deep breath and tell me what this is about.” He hated having to pull it out of her like this but at the same time it broke him to see her in such hysterics and not knowing what to do or why? Half of him wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms and hold her til she calmed down but he didn’t want to push any boundaries that they may have had set.

He was relieved, however, when she took a deep breath and spoke up once more.

“I…I was…I thought I was…was…ready. It was…Milla. She…” Alvin grabbed both of her shoulders as he saw her fighting to not break into another fit of sobs.

“She what?”

Leia took a huge breath and let go. “She was there with him.” Her sobs erupted once more and it really didn’t take much thought for Alvin to put two and two together at what exactly it was that Leia had witnessed. Boundaries be damned as he made the rash choice of pulling her onto his lap and into his arms. He was vaguely aware of how nicely she seemed to fit straddling his left thigh but pushed it in the back of his brain with the explanation of not having gotten much action lately. He was more concerned with her emotional state. It was no big news that she had a thing for Jude. Anyone that had stuck around them for more than a month would have picked up on it right off the bat. Of course, it was also no heavy shocker that she had witnessed what he was sure had been a pretty intimate encounter with their doctor and the lord of spirits herself. Everyone could pretty much pick up on their chemistry. It was only a matter of time til one of them was bold enough to act on it.

However, as he sat there stroking his fingers through the sobbing girl’s hair and whispering small hushing noises and words of assurance; he could not help but wonder if Leia had known…or worse, she had put herself in thoughts of denial over the whole thing.

If he knew one thing or two about a broken heart; it was that it normally never fully healed. Leia wasn’t the type to hold bitterness over this. He knew that she would support Jude and Milla all the way…even if it meant holding on to that broken heart of hers all her life.

He wasn’t sure what possessed him to do it. He had never really been ‘mentally together’ up in the head to begin with but this was one of those times where that really seemed to show.

He removed the hand he had tangled in her hair and the other on her lower back; only to then place both of them on the sides of her face and brought her emerald eyes up to meet his umber-colored ones….

He then pulled her in for a small, soft-yet-deep, kiss.

 

***

 

When Leia felt Alvin’s lips touch hers; everything faded. All the hurt, the pain, and everything that involved Jude and Milla all didn’t seem to matter anymore. Nothing seemed to matter anymore except what she was feeling now…and what she was feeling was pure, lovely bliss.

She couldn’t help herself as she let out a soft moan.

It must have set something off as she felt Alvin remove his hands from her face and down to her waist only to have moved them both so that she was sprawled on the bed below him. It was at that point she got a good long look at his expression. His eyes were dark, darker than they usually seemed if that made sense. She shivered as she was vaguely reminded of the same expression he wore years ago when they had fought against one another in Hamil. There was only one difference.

That anger was replaced…replaced with something that seemed to make Leia tremble in places she’d rather not mention. There was this small part of her screaming in the back of her head how wrong this was and that she should stop but…

She gasped as Alvin broke her thoughts by lowering his head next to hers. His lips softly grazed her ear as he spoke quietly yet firmly into it.

“Not to ruin your birthday or anything but I kinda need your permission that what I’m doing is okay.”

She felt the blood leave her face and rush into those unspoken places. Alvin…Alvin was asking her permission to do what she had been pretty sure nearly three hours ago was going to be an experience she would have shared with Jude. What was even more startling was that wasn’t what frightened her.

What frightened her was the fact that she could feel a huge part of her wanted it…perhaps even more so than any desire she ever felt with Jude…but why though?

Her thoughts drifted back to the birthday party. She thought of Alvin and how he had looked at her after jumping in on her defense. Thinking back further; she realized how many times he had done something similar. Back when she first started reporting when Ludger had still been by their sides; Alvin seemed to always have her back. Multiple times he chose her and the others over his past and not once had he received nothing but criticism despite how far he had come from the shady guy they first traveled with.

Yet despite her being the one person that had most reason to not forgive him; she was one of the first to do so. She was also probably one of the closest to him of their group.

This man had bend over backwards for them and changed for them…for her…and all she had been doing was turning a blind eye while chasing some childish crush.

Somewhere along the way; Alvin had become her best friend and now she was seeing him for the first time as potentially the person she might want to spend the rest of her life with. She’d be the biggest idiot in the world if she refused him now.

“Leia…?”

Her eyes met his once more. “I think so...yeah.”

 

***

 

_What the hell kind of response was that?_

Alvin sighed deeply and shook his head. His bangs hovering a bit over his stern eyes. “Not gonna cut it. I need a solid yes or a no.”

He watched as she nervously bit her lip and moved her gaze to the side. He softened his own expression. “You…you know I wouldn’t hurt you, right?”

Her eyes widened at that and she turned to face him once again. “I…I know! I just…”

“You just…what?” He tried his best not to overwhelm her with their current positions and hide his frusteration but also couldn’t help but feel a bit too anxious. He had become hard with his eyes wandering all over the curvy girl below him. He knew society would find him sick with their age gap but yet again; he never claimed to be mentally sound. That and he had initially planned to get laid tonight anyway.

What she said next seemed to shatter any chance of that happening along with his current hard-on. “I don’t know if I’m ready yet. I’m…I’m kinda scared to be honest.”

Yeah…he definitely wasn’t getting laid tonight.

Slowly he lifted himself up and off the bed; leaving the dazed girl just staring at the ceiling above. He grabbed the chair he had sat in earlier and turned it to face in front of the window. He then sat down and focused his gaze outside to the lit streets below. “Sorry about that…You should probably get cleaned up and get to bed. You wanted to go see your parents in Leronde tomorrow, right? That’s a bit of hike from here so you’re gonna need some shut-eye before that.”

 

***

Leia sat up and felt her heart sink a bit. Had she offended him? Was he really that upset that she didn’t feel ready? She wasn’t even sure if she was completely over Jude and she didn’t want to rebound...especially not with someone as close to her as Alvin was. Not only that but she had never been with anyone before. Heck, her first kiss was just a few moments ago. Unless she counted when she and Jude were five…did that count? She wasn’t sure if that counted since she had told him she’d punch him if he didn’t...either way; it was what it was. As much as she loved Alvin; she couldn’t force herself to take part in something she wasn’t comfortable doing just yet.

Slowly she rose to her feet and cast one last look at the man that sat with his back to her. “I’m sorry…thank you though…for being there for me…” She paused as an afterthought hit her. “…and thank you…I’ve…I’ve never had anyone kiss me before…much less show interest in me. It…It makes a girl feel kinda special.” She could feel her face heat up more and more with every word she spoke and every part of her brain was screaming at her to stop but she couldn’t help but ramble on. “Maybe…maybe I’ll be ready one day…if you still want to…”

She jumped and was cut off abruptly when the man in the chair stood up hastily. What seemed only two strides in a half a second; he was across the room and had her pulled in an tight embrace. His breath was hot on her ear as she felt every inch of her body on fire from his low, hoarse whisper.

“I want to.”

She could feel butterflies take off in her stomach. Was this really the same guy that had jerked them around so many times in the past? She had to know! She had to know what exactly was going through his head that all of a sudden made her desirable somehow.

“Alvin…” She pulled back so that they were face to face…her looking up at him with an expression mixed of sadness and confusion. “What…what am I to you?”

 

***

 

There it was…the million gald question. The same question he had heard many of times before from Jill (or as everyone else knew her…Presa). He hated making the comparison as the two were entirely different people but maybe it was about time?

And of course…here was Leia…never failing to make that point known as she stepped back and brought her fists up in front of her in determination. “I know. I know that’s a very cliché thing to ask given the situation but…but I just need to know I mean something…anything really!” She lowered her head and stared at the floor. “I didn’t want to believe it but I had no choice but accept that Milla is Jude’s special person. I know he still cares about me but I’m never going to be first place in his heart.” She brought her gaze back up and met him in the eye once more with that determined look of hers. “I need to know that I won’t be second!”

The atmosphere plus the expression she wore was so deathly serious that Alvin couldn’t help it…he closed his eyes, threw back his head and laughed. This in turn earned a groan from the girl in front of him. He cracked open one eye to take a peek and couldn’t help his smile widening. Her face was red and her cheeks were puffed out…he knew it all too well as her angry face. She was always so animated and he loved that about her. He didn’t think there was a person alive that could make him smile the way she did at times like this…

Wait…was that it?

It was as if a switch went on in his head. Was that what he was looking for? Someone to bring a little light into his life? All this time he had been drowning his emotions in places like work or a brothel…anything to keep the sadness out…

It wasn’t like that with Leia though. Any time he spent with her was cloud nine. He was always smiling and happy and dammit if it wasn’t anything but genuine! Never had anyone, not even Presa, brought him this much happiness. To top it off; it was her and everyone else that finally helped him get his life on track. He refocused his attention back on the woman in front of him whom had switched to a look of confusion at his awkward silence.

He knew exactly what he needed to say.

 

***

 

Leia froze as the man before her, her best friend, took her face in his hands and looked her in the eye. She couldn’t help but feel like she was looking at a complete stranger. His face was so honest and genuine…not like the Alvin she knew at all.

And yet…it was just like him.

It was the warm smile that had broken through that icy exterior long ago. His sad, brown eyes that had once hid so many emotions were now clearer and she could see herself in them. She wanted to be there by his side…good and bad times. She wanted…

“Leia… I made a huge mistake three years ago. I’ve been trying to atone for that. It’s now I realize that maybe what I did wasn’t such a bad thing after all…” He pressed a finger to her lips as she tried her best to protest. “Hear me out all the way. The truth is that I don’t think I would have gotten as close to you as I did if I hadn’t.” He cracked a bigger smile and raised his brows along with it. “Okay…maybe that’s a lie but still…” At this he pressed his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “You’ve changed me and I’ll probably be spending my whole damned life trying to pay you back.”

She felt him pull away and it was then she realized she had closed her eyes too. She opened them and found his eyes still retained the same soft look they had moments ago. She smiled back softly. “You don’t owe me anything." She whispered back. "You’ve done enough.”

Once again he took her face in his hands and his next words were the ones that she hadn’t realized she had been waiting for.

“Not yet…not until I’ve made you first place in my heart.”

He pulled her in for the second kiss that night…this one giving way to so much more. It was deep and passionate and Leia felt the tears form at the corners of her eyes as her heart and mind soared.

This was everything she had been waiting for. She was just happy that she had found the right person for it to be with.

 

***

 

Alvin pulled away from what he was sure was the most amazing feeling of flight he had ever gotten from something as small as a kiss. If that was what kissing her was like; he couldn’t imagine what nirvana he would enter when making love to her. It pained him but he would wait for when she was ready. What shocked him was not only was he willing to wait but he just didn’t think he felt a desire to take up with anyone until then…maybe this was that loyalty thing people always spoke of? In any case, if he was getting to kiss her like this; he could wait a lifetime and still be satisfied.

‘Guess that’s just the perks of an emotional connection…’ He thought as he pulled her in for another deep kiss. ‘I think I could get used to this…’

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Hope that wasn't too bad. I had some rough patches while writing and i'm sure they are apparent. This pairing doesn't get enough love so please don't hesitate to drop me reviews. I have another long, story-based, fic i've had stored away and touched from time to time which will more than likely have a sex scene so if this was anything but a good warm up; say something. Feedback and compliments kinda help me get motivated! Thank you for reading!


End file.
